Unreasonable Malicious Complaints... 'From Mock Drills to Psychological Therapy'

Jung-gu Prepares for Unexpected Situations with Semiannual Drills
Seocho-gu Lowers Barriers for Employee Mental Health Counseling

Jung-gu, Seoul conducted a drill on the 25th at the district office civil service center to prepare for emergency situations. The photo shows a simulation training scene calming a civil service visitor. (Photo by Jung-gu Office)

#An agitated complainant hurls verbal abuse and causes a disturbance. A public official approaches and persuades and calms the complainant according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s emergency preparedness guide. If the disturbance does not stop, the official warns that the police will have to be called and informs the complainant of this before making the call.

If the complainant continues to act violently, the emergency bell is pressed and the police are notified to accurately report the situation. While the security guard restrains the verbally abusive complainant, other complainants and staff are safely evacuated. The police, who arrive urgently on the scene, subdue the complainant.

Jung-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Gil-seong) conducted a mock drill on the 25th at the district office’s civil service center to prepare for emergency situations. This was not a drill for fire or disaster accidents. It was organized to review action protocols and improve response capabilities in crisis situations after an increase in cases where frontline public officials dealing with the public experienced verbal abuse or physical assault.

Several local governments, including Jung-gu, conduct such mock drills twice a year, divided into the first and second halves of the year. The police also participated in this Jung-gu drill. The second half of the year’s drills will be held at 15 community service centers’ civil service offices from the district office starting on the 27th.

The district has installed a safety emergency bell linked with the Jungbu Police Station for the safety of civil service staff and operates a recording system on the administrative phone lines in the civil service office. Wearable cameras are also placed at the service counters to prepare for safety incidents.

Despite thorough preparation and meticulous precautions, such conflict situations are always uncomfortable and challenging. While physical safety incidents are a concern, psychological distress and emotional wounds are also significant.

Therefore, Seocho-gu (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) began operating the ‘Employee Stress Management Program’ for public officials’ mental health care starting on the 23rd. This was based on the judgment that systematic support is necessary. Accordingly, mental health professionals have been hired, and customized counseling programs will be conducted. Regular mental health specialist programs, including dedicated counseling spaces, will be introduced and operated.

Seocho-gu stated, “This program is designed with strict confidentiality and engaging customized programs to lower the psychological counseling barrier that employees usually feel,” and “to encourage voluntary participation among employees.”

A mental health professional certified as a clinical psychologist was publicly recruited. Counseling includes one-on-one face-to-face psychological counseling, comprehensive stress tests for all employees using an autonomic nervous system testing device (HRV), MBTI (personality type test), art therapy, children’s personality type tests, group counseling programs, and more. For high-risk groups or employees wishing for in-depth psychological counseling, the cost of professional counseling institutions will be supported up to a maximum of 500,000 KRW per person.

A dedicated psychological counseling space called ‘Maeumjeongwon’ (Garden of Mind) was created in the basement level 1 of the district office. In June, the ‘Ordinance on the Protection and Support of Public Officials in Charge of Civil Complaints’ was enacted, and a private room called ‘Adamsso’ was opened within the one-stop civil service center ‘OK Civil Service Center’ to help calm the mind from the stress of civil complaint work. Legal counseling and legal support are also provided for dealing with malicious complaints.

According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, malicious and chronic complaints involving verbal abuse, assault, and sexual harassment have rapidly increased from 38,000 cases in 2019 to 52,000 cases in 2021 annually.

An interior view of 'Maeumjeongwon,' a specialized psychological counseling space recently established on the basement first floor of Seocho-gu Office. Seocho-gu has decided to support employees who wish to receive in-depth psychological counseling by covering the cost of professional counseling institutions up to a maximum of 500,000 KRW per person. (Photo by Seocho-gu Office)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.